Student fingerprinting sets off alarms

[anitram]

From the CBC:

B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis has agreed to investigate a complaint about the fingerprinting of aspiring lawyers.

A thumbprint is required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), which is administered by a non-profit American corporation, the Law School Admission Council.

That has prompted concerns the prints could be demanded by U.S. government security officials, under the authority of the USA Patriot Act.

Legal and ethical experts say this is a fundamental invasion of the privacy rights of the students.

"I and some other law deans have raised the issue nationally and have now communicated our concern to the law school admission council. The Patriot Act adds an additional element of concern," said Andrew Petter, the dean of the law school at the University of Victoria.

UVic ethics specialist Prof. Eike Kluge echoes Petter's concerns, and has written a letter of complaint to provincial and federal privacy commissioners.

"The FBI may request that these fingerprints be given to them, and the LSAT Corporation that has these fingerprints will not be allowed to tell Canadian students that in fact their fingerprints are now on file in security agencies in the United States.

This has since become a joint federal and provincial investigation.

I'm on file!

Dick Cheney's coming for me with a pellet gun.

 

[Irvine511]

if you make sure to lean to the Left a bit, i'm sure he'll miss ...

 

[nbcrusader]

could be demanded

Imagination of law school dean or real possibility? Canadian law school applicants have always been high on the list of terror suspects.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

that's scary

 

[verte76]

Scary, indeed!!